AlarmGrid Home Security Review

Posted on08/04/2016 • Reading Time: 2minutes

AlarmGrid is a new home security option on the scene. They’ve been around since 2012, and in the short time have earned an A+ rating from the BBB (though the time frame may not exactly be long enough to extract much from that rating.)

The company is known in the home security world for offering a no-contract, DIY, and monitored home security option. The market is filled with many unmonitored, DIY products, so how does AlarmGrid’s product compare?

The Specs

AlarmGrid has many different packages and options to suit whatever needs a customer may have and additional equipment may be added as well. The majority of the products are Honeywell and 2Gig systems.

Packages start at $215 but range as high as $800 depending on what you purchase. The system offers environmental alerts, medical alerts, and child safety monitoring along with standard security cameras, motion detectors, sirens, glass-break sensors, panic buttons, security fobs and motion sensors that have a 40 pound weight limit for pets. AlarmGrid does integrate with Z-Wave products, so some minimal home automation is available, but not much.

The other draw for AlarmGrid is that they are UL-listed and have central monitoring stations in New Jersey, Florida, and California. They partner with Criticom Monitoring Service to respond to emergencies. This is encouraging because it means they do have a backup monitoring location in case of a natural disaster.

The Takeaway

AlarmGrid seems great in concept, but once you get down to the nuts and bolts of the product, it’s actually fairly expensive for offering a service that is similar or less than most competitors.

You’ll get to skip out on the cancellation fees and installation fees with the plans offered, but all the money you save will be spent on high upfront costs and pricey monthly fees for the top-tier monitoring.

Professional monitoring begins at $15 a month, but that’s simply for the very basic package. To at least receive e-mail and phone alerts you’ll have to move up to the second package of $25, with the next tier you’ll receive image sensing, and with the last tier of platinum you will finally get video surveillance, but you’ll have to pay a whopping $45 for that service.

You can opt out of professional monitoring for a self monitored setup, but even then you’ll pay $35 dollars for the highest tier that allows video surveillance, and cameras are lower grade than many competitors with home automation offerings that are fairly limited.

The AlarmGrid website is also very scattered and can be difficult for customers to understand the products and packages they are choosing.

AlarmGrid does generally have positive reviews online, and the BBB rating of A+ is encouraging. But for such high prices and not much company history, we suggest you opt for a veteran company that won’t have your family paying outrageous fees for tools that are pretty standard across the industry.

Home security is a vital tool for families that shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg, or leave families feeling stressed and tighten their financial resources.

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